Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

The dunes run about sixty-five kilometres along the coast and reach some 150 metres, the largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America, built from sand carried down the rivers and blown inland over thousands of years. They are vanishing: European beachgrass was planted from the early 1900s to stabilise sand around the rail line and harbours, and it worked far better than intended - the grass holds the sand, trees follow, and open dune has been lost at a rate that projections suggest could remove most of it. Restoration removes vegetation mechanically in places. Part of the area is open to off-highway vehicles and part is not, and the two constituencies do not overlap. Frank Herbert visited and the dunes fed into Dune.

What you actually see

• Sixty-five kilometres of dunes - the largest coastal expanse in North America.
• Dunes up to 150 metres - built from river sand blown inland.
• Beachgrass swallowing them - planted deliberately, now a threat.
• Separate OHV and quiet zones - the area is divided between uses.

When to go

April to October. A full day.

Honest expectations

Off-highway vehicle areas are loud and busy; check which zone you are entering. Open sand is being lost to vegetation year by year. Walking in soft dune is exhausting. The coast is often wet and windy.

Nearby

Florence is north; Coos Bay is south.